Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 472 - 471: The Eye-Catching Opening Performance

Chapter 472: Chapter 471: The Eye-Catching Opening Performance

The day of the competition.

At eight o’clock in the morning, the matchup notifications from the competition committee were distributed to the hotels where the participating teams were staying.

Ookura Mountain Villa.

Dojima Yin personally cooked a large table of Japanese breakfast.

After eating, everyone discussed the matter at hand. From today until the end of the month was the first stage of the competition. In total, there were 31 teams, each equipped with at least 1 Lin Chef and 5 special-grade chefs.

The 31 teams were divided into A and B sections, with the Far Moon Contest Team being allocated to section A, which contained 16 teams. However, section B had only 15 teams. This meant that during the matchup arrangement, one team would have a bye and advance to the top 8 in the semi-section directly.

"Before ten o’clock, the matchup forms must be handed in. The first match will officially start at 3 pm; it’s a showdown between the Far Moon Team and the French Academy."

Dojima Yin spread the matchup form on the cleared dining table. Zhu Qing, Eriina, Tiqie Zongwei, Tiqie Leonora, and Roland Chapeau stood or leaned around it.

The form was essentially a fill-in-the-blank question.

Team battles, in essence, were like the strategic deployment of horses in a race.

The five positions on the form all required the names of the contestants to be filled in.

For example, the first match was matchup 1.

The second match, matchup 2.

And so on.

Therefore, the arrangement of troops was crucial, especially when forces were evenly matched.

"Our first opponent is the French culinary institute?" Tiqie Zongwei and Tiqie Leonora, the couple, looked at each other in astonishment.

"Mm-hmm, one of the four major culinary schools and internationally, on par with our Far Moon," Dojima Yin nodded with a solemn expression.

It was an elimination system; to lose meant a complete goodbye. Unexpectedly, the first match going from 16 to 8 pitted them against a formidable opponent.

"Let me go first!"

Roland Chapeau fixed his eyes on the matchup form, his gaze deep as a pool, staring at the emblems of the two culinary schools.

The emblem of the French Academy was a purple iris.

"Professor Chapeau, you..."

Everyone was stunned.

Before the old professor could explain, a voice suddenly came from the hallway:

"I’ll go for the first matchup!"

At the sound, the group turned around in unison.

The young instructor was seen removing his apron, striding with confidence. Perhaps from several nights of staying up, his complexion wasn’t the healthiest and looked a bit dull, but his eyes were radiant with vigor.

"Bam!"

Seeing the newcomer, Tiqie Eriina was the first to spring up, the chair tilting back due to her hurried movement. Although her mouth opened and her eyes were filled with joy, the caring words she wanted to say just couldn’t come out. At that moment, Eriina was annoyed with herself and her tsundere temperament. Since when had she become so reserved?

"You finally decided to come out!"

Zhu Qing chuckled lightly, a hint of reproof in her tone: "You, always closeted with your research, need to know moderation. A secluded approach can slow progress, and you are my nephew, from both the Xia and Zhu families. If there’s anything you don’t understand or wish to research, you can ask me directly... I can even give you the special ’finisher’ recipes!"

Her statement was an offer, not just a hint.

But Xia Yu hadn’t made any requests to her, and now the aunt had finally relented, prompting him on her own initiative.

Xia Yu, however, shook his head.

The ’finisher’ recipes required a great deal of energy to ponder and practice, and his recent research into Indira and Dojima Yin’s ’finisher’ recipes had barely reached the entry level.

However, having reached the threshold, the road ahead was clear, but he didn’t have the energy to delve into a third recipe.

"The first battle, leave it to me!" Xia Yu met Dojima Yin’s eyes. "I won’t lose!"

The words of Ghost Father Tiqie Ji echoed faintly in his mind.

No place for me in the Far Moon Team?

No chance to compete?

Xia Yu intended to prove to him that since he was selected, he could be the commanding general who made the other contending teams tremble with fear!

Dojima Yin and Tiqie Zongwei exchanged glances, undecided. The first match, the opening show of the competition, was too important.

Saito Chiyokuro hadn’t arrived yet.

"Let him go!"

Zhu Qing waved his hand, "Professor Chapeau will take the second battle, Dojima, you hold the fort for the third sequence, this position is very important. Mr Tiqie and your wife can take the fourth and fifth seats."

Lin Chef issued the directive, and Dojima Yin, as the nominal team leader, could only accept such a "reasonable" arrangement.

Dojima Yin and Tiqie Zongwei were both aware that, in terms of lineage, the Far Moon Team bore the Xia name. Zhu Qing and Xia Yu were the actual decision-makers. They felt more like hired help.

Thus, with Zhu Qing’s final decision, the battle lineup was confirmed: Xia Yu (first battle), Roland Chapeau (second battle), Dojima Yin (third battle).

...

At the same time.

At the French Academy’s hotel.

"Bernard, the first battle is yours, no problem, right?"

The leader of the contest team, a titan of French cuisine, who also had the prestigious title of Lin Chef and was treated as an equal by the president, spoke to the youngest member of the team, a youth probably in his late twenties.

"Sir, leave it to me!"

The young man stood up straight.

A female professor with wavy brown hair, analyzed calmly, "The Far Moon Contest Team has six elite members, the youngest being only 16 years old. I’ve researched him; he’s the prodigy known as ’Neon’s youngest prominent chef in history.’ We must consider the possibility of him participating."

"It would be best if he doesn’t participate, but if he does and is first, I will certainly teach him a lesson!"

The young man named Bernard said, with eyes full of competitive fire, "I will prove on the battlefield how excellent French cuisine really is!"

...

It wasn’t long before the afternoon arrived.

Since morning, the competition venue in Area A had been under strict control. A line of IGO ingredient trucks queued in front of the underground ingredient warehouse, as staff hustled to transport ingredients.

"Miss Chiyoda, this is your script."

Chiyoda Aichi was in the dressing room, applying makeup, when a staff member brought her the script.

She put away her lipstick, tucked it into her small ladies’ bag, and then opened the script to seriously review it once more. Although she had learned it by heart days ago, the sheer scale of such an international event still made her nervously fearful of making a mistake.

"Area A!"

"Over in Area B, it’s Miss Dubian hosting, right?"

She rose to her feet and checked the grouping and battle information posted on the wall.

"The first battle, Far Moon vs. French Academy—two of the leading academies in a fierce clash. Who will take the lead, granting an auspicious start for Area A in the grand competition?" Chiyoda Aichi couldn’t help but gossip to herself.

"Far Moon, France, Orlando... Three of the top four elite culinary schools are in Area A. What a terrifying group!" Chiyoda Aichi got fired up completely.

"I’ve got to do my best, too!"

She pumped her fist, glanced at her own reflection—beautiful and dignified—and nodded, "It’s about time!"

She slid the door open and stepped out.

Ah.

A panicked cry.

She hadn’t expected to bump into someone just as she left, a damn mistake! Chiyoda Aichi focused and was even more startled to see who she’d bumped into, covering her mouth in shock, "Xia, Instructor Xia?"

"Ah, Miss Chiyoda—"

Xia Yu waved to her, picking up the script she had dropped and returning it.

Two members of the event organizing committee flanked him.

A female staff member respectfully said, "Competitor Xia Yu, please proceed to the stage, it’s time!"

"Alright."

As she watched Xia Yu walk farther down the corridor, Chiyoda Aichi finally snapped back from her daze, then in a dazed state, she couldn’t help thinking to herself, "...Oh my goodness!"

"Instructor Xia is representing Far Moon in the opening battle?"

Thump, thump!

Her heartbeat accelerated.

Chiyoda Aichi’s palm, clutching the script, suddenly broke out in sweat. It was excitement, elation.

Such a highly anticipated opening battle of the competition!